Apparatus for exchanging safety-razor blades



Nov. 11, 1930. J. c. SHERMAN 1,780,949

APPARATUS FOR EXCHANGING SAFETY RAZOR BLADS Filed Feb. 3, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet l .m mi.

IIa/venan Hy' 5 li/z i WWI/wz Nov. 1l, 1930. i J. c. SHERMAN K 1,780,949

APPARATUS FOR EXCHANGING SAFETY RAZOR BLADES I Filed Feb. 5, 1928 2sheets-sheet 2 il H @W2 f, I@ ff y Patented Nv.11,193o y d "1,780,949

UNITED STATES PATENToFFlcE JOHN C. SHERMAN, F GORBLASM, MAINE APPARATUSFOR EXCEANGING SAFETY-RAZOR BLADES Application led February 3, 1,928.Serial No. 251,561.

This invention relates to apparatus where- Figure 3 is a plan view-ofthe handle porby used safety razor blades may be removed tion of thesafety razor in inverted position from the razor and new blades insertedWithas shown in Figure 1, a blade being in posiout either used or newblades being touched tion thereon.

5 by the hands of the operator. The invention Figure 4 is a plan view ofa receptacle 55 includes a novel package of blades which can containinga blade package and a` gripping be used in conjunction with a suitablesupdevice for the cap of the razor. port and asuitably constructed razorto carry Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of out the purposes ofthe invention. Figure 4.

One of the safety razors now in wide use v Figure 6 is a section on theline 6 6 of 60 is open to the objection that the operation Figure 4. ofchanging blades is liable to be somewhat Figure 7 shows in elevation theend plate messy owing to the practical necessity of gripper engaging acap, and the handle porhandling the end plate and blade as they are tionof the razor being removed therefrom.

separated from the handle. There is also an Figure 8 is a perspectiveview showing the 65 ever-present danger of cuts in handling a method o freleasing a blade from thel handle keen two-edged blade. By thisinvention a portion of the lever. Y rapid change vof blades isfacilitated without Figure 9 shows in elevation a portion of a contactof the operators fingers in the guard blade package with the handleportion of a plate or blade. razor approaching to engage the topmost 70In accomplishing the purposes of the inblade.

vention, the razor construction is preferably Figure 10 is a view partlyin section of a so modified that when the cap is released modified formof safetyrazor.

from the handle portion of the razor, the Figure 11 is a detail on alarger scale of a blade itself will be releasably held with the portionof the razor shown in Figure 10. 75

handle portion, mechanism being provided Figure 12 is a perspective viewof the same.

by which the operator can release or pick Figure 13 is a perspectiveview of the up a blade without touching it with the 1inspacer elementfor the blade package.

gers. In order to facilitate the operation of Figure 14 is a perspectiveview of a com picking up new blades, I preferably provide plete packageof blades. 80

-them in a package in which the individual Figure 15 is an elevation,partly broken blades are separated by suitable spacers. I away,illustra-ting the manner of mounting also provide a support adapted tohold my a package of blades on the blade-holding porimproved bladepackageso that the blades tion of the supporting stand.

will be accessible, the support being also Figure 16 shows inperspective a modied 85 preferably provided with a device for reform ofgripping device for the cap of the leasably holding the cap of the razorwhen razor. l

.separated from the handle portion. AQ., Figure 17 is a perspective viewof a supholder for the razor itself may also be mountporting stand for acomplete outfit of razor,

ed on the support. end plate gripper, and blade package. 90

For a more detailed disclosure of the in- Referring to the drawings indetail, 1 indivention, reference may be had to the followcates the capof a razor of well known type, ing description `and to thev drawings, ofthe construction of which is modified accordwhich,- ing to the presentinvention. The cap as Figure 1 represents partly in section a usual isprovided with a pair of studs 2 by 95 safety razor of a well known typemodified which it is kept in alinement when assembled according to theinvention to cooperate with with the other parts of the razor. Betweenblade-changing apparatus. the studs 2 is a threaded shank 3 for threadedo Figure 2 represents in perspective the end engagement with a drawmember 7 by which plate of the razor shown in'Figure 1. the cap 1 may bedrawn toward the guard 100 plate 4 of the razor. When the razor isassembled complete, a blade is customarily between the cap 1 and theguard plate 4, the cap pressing the blade against the guardplate. Inorder to retain the blade against the handle plate after the removal ofthe cap, a pair of gripping lingers 5 may be provided havgrip lingers.lSuitable springs may be pro.

vided to press the fingers 5 outward. The

ard plate 4 may as usualy be made integral with the handle 8 of therazor, the latter being hollow to receive the draw member 7 by which thecap 1 is drawn toward the handle plate 4 to grlp a blade 9 therebetween.Instead of the grip fingers 5 as shown in Figure 1, suitable s ringcatches 5 may be mounted at the en s of the guard plate 4, these iingers5 being provided with catches 6' adapted to engage over the ends of ablade 9 and to g hold the blade against the guard plate 4 until releasedby manual operation of the lingers 5. It will be noted that in eitherconstruction, the cap 1 projects out beyond the ends .of the blade 9 sothat the ends of the cap 1 maybe gripped by means'which will not engagethe blade. In order to facilitate the picking up of a blade by thehandle member, 1t is preferred to space the blades apart so that thecatches 6 or 6 may readily engage the vunder face of'a blade to-belifted. o

. this end, spacers 10 may be provided which may comprise asimple pieceof cardboard or A the like between each pair of blades as shown inFigure 4, these spacers being preferably notched on their edges so as tobe held in place between the blades. A more elaborate orm of, spacer maybe provided as shown in Figure 13, this spacer being preferably of the.,same general shape as the blade butof larger area, the spacer beingrecessed laterally on one or both of its faces so as to receive a bladewithin the" recess in such a way that the blade will lie below the uppersurface level of the spacer. Along the side edges of each recess, therecess is preferably made slightlyvtapered so that the cutting edge ofa.

blade received therein will not touch the bottom of the recess. Themargins of' the spacers surrounding the recesses, being thicker than therest of the spacers, will rest blades centered in their recesses so thatthe cutting edges will not touch thegside walls thereof, slots 10 may becut to extend in from the ends of each spacer, the inner ends of theseslots preferably registering( with perforations 12 in the blades so thatcentering members 15 may be passed through the perforations and slots-tohold the parts f the blade package together in roperly centeredrelation. AIn` order to acilitate the removal of a spacer from thepackage after a blade has been removed therefrom, a handle piece 10 isextended outwardly from a corner thereof. yIn assembling) spacers in apackage, these handles may e staggered as shown in Figures 14 and 17 soas to facilitate the grasping of one of them without interference byother handles in the package. When the blade packageis placed on' astand for use, the centering tubes or pins 15 may be replaced by fixeddowel pins 11 which may be mounted so as to 'project from a suitablesupport stand 13 or 13. In order to facililtate the transfer of apackage of bladesand spacers from the centering means .15 to the dowelpins 11, the latter may be shaped at their upperv ends with a shoulderand a reduced portion 11. The centering members 15 may preferably be inthe form of tubes, the ends of which are of a size to lfit over thereduced portion 11 of the dowel pins 11 aind to engage against theshoulders on these pins as shown in` Figure 15. It is obvious from thisfigure that the blades and spacers may thus be easily transferred fromthe tubes 15 :to the dowel pins 11. The nsupporting-stand or block13'ma'y, as shown` in Figure 5, bev

mounted in the bottom vof a suitable recepta-l cle of any desiredmaterial which may be provided with 'a cover to protectthe appara- Y tusfromA moisture and dust. Figure `17 `shows'a modified form of supportingstand 13' which may be provided with acover inem-I ber (not shown) toengage over the apparatus illustrated in the figure and to rest-on a.shoulder 13v near the bottom of the supporting block. In addition todowel pins 11 for holding packages ofl blades, the supporting `standsmay also be'provided Withy a resilient gripping means 14 or 14" forreleasably holding the cap 1 of the razor. The gripping i means may asshown in Figures 4 and 6 comprise a pair of simple spring memberssuitably spaced to clamp lightly'the 'cap which is thrust down betweenthem against the base block 13, or as shown in Figures 16 and 17,Y thegripping means may comprise a base plate having the ends thereof turnedout and notches to receive and hold a cap thrust between them. f Thegripper is preferably made of a metal having sulicient resiliencetopermit the end portions, to spring apart when the cap 1s inserted orremoved. The gripper and the blade holder are preferably'arranged asshown so that the long edge of the blades l and of the cap is transversewith respect to the supporting block. This parallel relation facilitatesthe manipulation of the razor in changing the blades sincethe razor maybe transferred from the gripper to the blade package and back again tothe gripper without being turned.

Also mounted on the supporting stand may be a resilient holder 17adapted to grip the handle of a razor to hold the razor in place on thestand. This may comprise a simple spring clip having a pair of upwardlyextending arms suitably spaced to receive the handle of the razor-and toclamp it lightly.

In using the apparatus to exchange a used blade for a new blade, therazor is preferably thrust downwardly into the cap gripper 14 or 14until the cap is engaged by the gripper. The draw member 7 is thereuponactuated to release the cap whereupon as shown in Figure 7, the handleportion and draw member of the razor may be lifted from the cap carryingthe blade 9 therewith. The razor may then be held over a suitablereceptacle lfor used blades and the ngers 5 pressed as shown in Figure8, releasing the used blade 9 which is allowed to fall into the usedblade receptacle. The handle member is thereupon placed on the uppermostblade of the' blade package as shown in Figure 9, the spacing memberthereon having previously been removed. The new blade is thereuponcaught by the fingers 6 or 6 and lifted thereby with the handle of therazor. These members are then placed upon the cap 1 which meanwhile hasbeen held by the gripper 14 or 14', and the draw member 7 is operated`to draw the cap up as tightly as desired against the blade 9. Thereassembled razor with a new blade therein may then be pulled from thegripper 14 or 14 and is ready for use, the blade having been changedwithout the iin ers of the olperator coming in contact therewlth or witht e cap.

Having thus described certain embodiments of my invention, it should beevident to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit orscope as dened by the appended claims.

I claim 1. Apparatus for facilitating change of blades in a safetyrazor, comprising a supporting stand, a' package of safety razor bladeshaving spacing elements between successive blades, means on said standfor holding said blades in place, and means on said stand for releasablyholding the cap of a safety razor in parallel relation to said blades.

2. Apparatus for facilitating change of and resilient means on saidstand for releasably holding the cap of a safety razor in parallelrelation to said blades. v 3. Apparatus of the class described,comprising a supporting stand, a pair of parallel dowel pins projectingtherefrom, said pins being spaced to receive perforated razor bladesthereon, reslhent means on sald stand for releasably holding the cap ofa safety leasably holding a blade against the guard plate when the capis released therefrom,

means carried by said stand for releasably holding said'cap, a packageof bladesv for said razor having perforations adapted tov register withthe perforations in said guard plate,

said package-comprising a spacing elementbetween each pair of successiveblades, a pair of dowel pins mounted on said stand and spaced to enterthe perforations in said blades and in' said guard plate, and aresilient holder carried by said stand for releasably gripping said'razor.

In testimony whereof -I have aiiixed m signature.

JOHN C. SHERMAN,

